A blue wave could be coming for Assembly District 92 in Wisconsin, where voters have seen major hospitals close under Republican decision-making and data centers threaten to change the landscape of their towns.
“There’s a lot of momentum going into this midterm cycle,” said Rachel La Due, deputy communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “Voters have even more reason to vote against Republicans and replace them than they did in 2024, now that cost of living has just skyrocketed.”
Early polling suggests voter dissatisfaction with Republican leaders—both throughout the state and nationally—could work in favor of Democrats. Polling sponsored by A Better Wisconsin Together showed a five-point lead for Democrats in AD-92, the western Wisconsin district comprising parts of southwest Chippewa County and central Dunn County. A release from the organization said voters indicate they would prefer “a generic Democrat” over the Republican incumbents.
The survey, conducted May 13 and 14, showed 42% of respondents would vote for a Democrat over incumbent Republican Rep. Clint Moses (39%) if the race were held that day. That’s despite the fact that 50% said they voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election over former Vice President Kamala Harris (45%).
“Clearly Wisconsinites have had enough of the out-of-touch GOP agenda and are energized to hold these MAGA politicians accountable for leaving working families behind,” A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne said in a release.
The race for AD-92
Moses will square off against the winner of the Aug. 11 Democratic primary between Melvin Marin and Jeremiah Frederickson. Moses was reelected in 2024 by a margin of 6.6 percentage points, making the district ripe for a Democratic win.
AD-92 includes about 56,000 residents and about 257 square miles of Chippewa and Dunn counties surrounding the towns of Chippewa Falls, Elk Mound and Menomonie. The district was redrawn in 2020 and the newest maps have been in use since 2024.
Rep. Clint Moses (R)
Moses, who is currently serving his third term in Wisconsin’s Assembly, announced his bid for reelection to a fourth in May. His initial terms had him serving in AD-29 before the maps were redrawn.
Hailing from Menomonie, Moses is a chiropractor who has largely approached big-ticket projects and energy policy from the perspective of utilities and large developers, backing Republican plans that prioritize keeping corporate costs low—even as rural communities raise alarms about higher power demand, water use, and industrial sprawl. The Trump-backing politician is representing a district now seeing hospitals close and costs rise under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Jeremiah Frederickson (D)
Raised in Amery, Frederickson spent 16 years teaching in Elk Mound and today runs Jeremiah’s Bullfrog Fish Farm, a family business.
“I was a high school agriculture teacher for 16 years, and I taught about conservation and different things like that,” Frederickson said in an interview with UpNorthNews chief political correspondent Pat Kreitlow. “The last nine years, I’ve actually been a fish farmer…water is very important to me. And so I’m very interested in protecting our natural resources, funding our education system properly, and making sure healthcare is accessible and affordable for individuals.”
Frederickson said as a candidate, he’s learned that it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle people are on—they’re all concerned about the state’s water.
If elected, he pledged to work to bring down grocery costs and increase affordable healthcare access in light of recent hospital closures.
“I think we’ve got national politicians that are pushing us down and not thinking about the middle class,” he said.
He’s been endorsed by 3.14 Action Wisconsin, a group dedicated to electing officials who will work on climate change and healthcare issues. Menomonie Mayor Matthew Crowe also endorsed Frederickson in June.
Melvin Marin (D)
Marin has not yet filed campaign contributions and little information exists online for his campaign.
Data centers, healthcare at stake in AD-92
Two hospitals serving constituents of this district closed in 2024: Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, located a few miles south of the district, and St. Joseph’s Hospital in the heart of Chippewa Falls.
Both hospitals served as specialty treatment centers for residents in and outside the district. Many blame the fact that Wisconsin has not adopted the Affordable Care Act’s full Medicaid expansion for shuttering hospitals that relied in part on those funds.
“They’re essentially creating healthcare deserts,” La Due said.
Data centers will also likely continue to be a concern for residents of the district. More than 10,000 members have joined the Stop The Menomonie Data Center group on Facebook, where locals share information about data center plans in the state even after the proposed project was axed in September.
Polls show voters in the state largely oppose data centers, with 70% saying the costs are greater than the benefits these centers provide, including new jobs and tax revenue. While more agree the costs outweigh benefits across party lines, Democrats were more likely to vote that way.
Blaine Halverson is a moderator for the Stop The Menomonie Data Center group on Facebook. He got involved in local politics after learning Menomonie council members were trying to push approval of the proposed center through against the wishes of local voters.
Halverson believes the topic of data centers is a nonpartisan issue and that politicians on both sides are uneducated about the impacts these centers could have on the landscape of towns.
“I’m concerned about how many of our leaders can’t admit that they don’t know what they don’t know and they just keep moving forward with little bits of information,” he said.
Halverson cited long, disruptive construction project timelines and inflated financial benefits as main problems for voters. He also believes the financial risks are high.
“It’s a gold rush without any gold,” he said.
